Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

Some years ago I visited Beijing and Lhasa with other members of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. Does the Minister of State agree that great caution needs to be taken about accepting news of the Han deaths that have been reported from Tibet?

It is a complex issue but will the Minister of State agree that in terms of international law what is taking place in Tibet is the consequence of an occupation? There has been a forced migration into Tibet, an arrival of Han people into Lhasa who have more or less monopolised the commercial sector. There has been interference with people in the monasteries and suppression of religious freedom. Apart from the issue of the one China policy, there are issues of basic human rights with respect to religious expression, freedom of speech, access to the outside community and the right of the international community to be present in Lhasa.

Desmond O'Malley, a former Member of the House, accompanied us to Beijing where we asked questions about disappearances. The former Minister, David Andrews, accompanied me further on to Lhasa, where we did not get satisfactory answers on all issues. We got satisfactory answers to some questions, but the majority of our questions were not satisfactorily answered, particularly those relating to disappearances, arrests and punishment.

There seems to be consensus on the value of talks. I would make two comments about that. Such talks must be at a meaningful level, rather than at a low level and must include the end prospect of a direct discussion involving His Holiness the Dalai Lama. My second comment relates to the EU-China dialogue, which takes place on 15 May. It is important that significant progress is made at that if we are to have the fruitful results of dialogue that might bring peace in both places.

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